Future Shock: The Screams of 2009

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As Halloween edges ever closer we turn our attention to fears not yet arrived, examining 13 of the scariest games set to darken our doors next year.

By IGN Staff

The eve of Halloween is upon us. Even now the ghouls and ghosts are plotting. Even now the unspeakable creatures of the night are planning their attack. And yes, even now, the local kids in your neighborhood are stocking up on toilet paper. Tomorrow's annual ritual of costume-wearing, prank-playing and trick-or-treating is a frightful thing to consider indeed. So stay inside with us where it's safe, and avoid the real horrors of the world in favor of their video game simulations.

Yesterday we took a look at the 13 Scariest Games of This Generation, taking stock of the spookiest horror gaming experiences we've had the privilege to play through the past three years. Today we take the opposite approach, looking forward instead of looking back -- the pages that follow are filled with 13 games again, but they're games that won't be released until next year.

Join us as we delve into the depths of what the future holds for horror-hungry gamers, as we take a cross-platform look at this list, comprised of upcoming releases for the PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii. Try not to get too scared.

We'll kick off our countdown with a title that's thematically appropriate, even if it's a franchise that's traditionally been played for laughs instead of scares -- Ghostbusters. This highly-anticipated reboot of the '80s film franchise has kept a prominent place in many gamers' sights since its announcement late last year. And while those same gamers are probably anticipating the title largely because of the classic comedy stylings of Ramis, Murray and Aykroyd, they still got quite a scare earlier this year -- in the wake of the Activision/Blizzard merger, the game seemed to be threatened with cancellation for a time.

Those fears can be quelled now, though, as we've just recently learned that Atari will be picking up the publishing rights from the now-dead-and-gone Sierra, and will be positioning the game as a summer release in 2009 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original film's release. Will you be prepared to power on your proton packs? We will. We ain't afraid of no ghost.